One huge reason I want to be a nurse

NurseDirtyBird · Mar 25, 2013

Everybody wants us to walk in the patients' shoes, and nobody wants to walk in the nurses' shoes. Probably because they know it'll make their feet hurt.

Fiona59 · Mar 25, 2013

OP, after your lifetime of military service are you ready to be low dog on the totem pole?

You may think you want to do this job but the reality sucks. You are in a luckier position than most because you have a pension and benefits and can affort do work casual. That's the only way you are going to get vacation when you want it.

Oh, and nobody is that clean and fresh looking at the end of a 12 hour shift. Hair is hanging out of ponytails, uniforms are crumpled and soiled. Exhaustion and dehydration is pretty apparent on a lot of faces.

Hope it works for you.

mrnightinggale · Mar 25, 2013

My wife is a Med/Surg RN-BSN so, I understand some of your perspectives. Can't say I totally understand it until I am there, but I hear lots of good stories along with the bad. I guess the luxury I have is that after I get a bit of experience in, I won't have any qualms throwing the BS flag. In all honesty, I really don't NEED this job and won't be afraid to tell people that under certain conditions. I've briefed 4-star generals. I am not easily intimidated. I guess they either will or won't like me.

Fiona59 · Mar 25, 2013

My hospital has the military RNs come into work shifts to keep current. The guys from base take no prisoners but they also don't win a lot of friends on the floor.

I hope it works for you but most of the DND RNs and LPNs that I know all swear they'll never work civilian after they retire.

SuzieVN · Mar 25, 2013

Since that video is nothing but propaganda, it's offensive. It may as well been the 'happy children' in Nazi Germany doing their dance recitals. Nurses in America are being increasingly down-paid, threatened, replaced with foreigners, made to feel insignificant, and etc. My question is the motive of the video, and who's agenda it's representing. That's what spooks me.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2013

Are you kidding with this video?

Maybe it's me too...I couldn't finish watching this clip. Not because it struck a chord with me in any way, just too cheesy and sentimental.

anotherone, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2013

Oh, and nobody is that clean and fresh looking at the end of a 12 hour shift. Hair is hanging out of ponytails, uniforms are crumpled and soiled. Exhaustion and dehydration is pretty apparent on a lot of faces.
Hope it works for you.

I did not watch more than a minute but after my shift I literally feel dirty. I go in smelling great , nice hair and makeup and leave looking pretty bad. I work nights so when I leave the sun is shining on my face as I try to avoid eye contact with everyone in the halls and lobby!

BrandonLPN, LPN · Mar 25, 2013

Cheese is a huge reason you want to be a nurse?

Guest343211 · Mar 25, 2013

My wife is a Med/Surg RN-BSN so, I understand some of your perspectives. Can't say I totally understand it until I am there, but I hear lots of good stories along with the bad. I guess the luxury I have is that after I get a bit of experience in, I won't have any qualms throwing the BS flag. In all honesty, I really don't NEED this job and won't be afraid to tell people that under certain conditions. I've briefed 4-star generals. I am not easily intimidated. I guess they either will or won't like me.

For me what makes it suck is the fact that it's a role and a job, where, if you like it or the area, and you bust orifice and are good at it, there are these idiotic people that just have to pile on political and other things that start to make the suck factor way too much for the time, energy, and money. I had hoped that having more men come into it would make a difference, but it hasn't. That's because the men are still low in the numbers, and they take on this whole, if you can't beat em, join em mentality. So you have men that take on the petty bs and stupid female politics in order to fit into the "culture."

No offense, but women are often so damn reactionary and catty and punitive. You deal with it in other jobs; but in healthcare, where you are stressing about more important things, you just get sick of the other nonsense. It's too much uncessary insult and injury added to a job where you are constantly forced to try and please everyone. It's really kind of nuts.

SleeepyRN · Mar 25, 2013

The last line was if you could walk in their shoes, feel what they feel, would you treat them differently. My answer: No. If I'm not giving the best care possible, it isn't because I lack empathy, its because I lack support from my workplace, lack proper staffing.....Ridiculous. The video makers it sound like "we only hire compassionate, empathetic people." As opposed to the rest of us who supposedly don't care about our patients? I don't need a video to make me stop and think about what a patient must be going through. I'm not a sociopath. I already posess empathy. SMH

nurseladybug12 · Mar 25, 2013

I wish I listened to other nurses that forewarned me about going into nursing! Shadow a nurse for a day, or maybe several nurses on different units in different hospitals just to see what you are getting yourself into. But also keep in mind that shadowing is a lot different from being the one with the license that you worked very hard to attain and work very hard every day to maintain. You are personally accountable for the safety and lives of your pts. You will be under the constant, close scrutiny of your peers, your pts, their families, and your managers who will audit your documentation to death. You will be so busy on the job you wont have time to put yourself in other people's shoes... and you may just start to resent others who dont put themselves in yours! I would say I am a compassionate person, but the only time I have to express that compassion is by putting a little more sense of urgency on myself to get my pt's their pain meds a little more sooner, to get them an extra blanket right away while I have a second to do it before I forget and get distracted by something else with more priority. I would really weigh the pros and cons before you invest money in your nursing education.

netglow, ASN, RN · Mar 25, 2013

My wife is a Med/Surg RN-BSN so, I understand some of your perspectives. Can't say I totally understand it until I am there, but I hear lots of good stories along with the bad. I guess the luxury I have is that after I get a bit of experience in, I won't have any qualms throwing the BS flag. In all honesty, I really don't NEED this job and won't be afraid to tell people that under certain conditions. I've briefed 4-star generals. I am not easily intimidated. I guess they either will or won't like me.

Do not pass go then, buddy - in all seriousness.